Handrail fitting



Sept. 1, 1970 w. J. HORGAN, JR 3,526,390

HANDRAIL FITTING Filed June 23, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.William J. Horgon, Jr.

avg-Lax ATTORNEYS.

W. J. HORGAN, JR

Sept. 1, 1910 HANDRAIL FITTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 1969INVENTOR. Williqm J. Horgon, Jr. M-FM ATTORNEYS.

p 1970 w. J. HORGAN, JR 3,526.390

HANDRAIL FITTING 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 23, 1969 INVENTOR.-

William J. Horgon, J1

BY mam ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,526,390 HANDRAIL FITTING William J. Horgan, In,Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Blumcraft of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.,:1 firm of Pennsylvania Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.755,236, Aug. 26, 1968. This application June 23, 1969, Ser. No. 850,683

Int. Cl. E04h 17/14 US. Cl. 256-65 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA handrail fitting fits into a slot in the underside of a handrail. Theslot is in the shape of a cross and the fitting is provided with ahorizontally extending hole in alignment with the horizontal portion ofthe slot. Means are provided in sliding engagement with the hole in thehand rail fitting, which can be extended into the slot to grip thehandrail. These means are preferably steel balls which are forced apartby a separate steel ball which is driven between them. The separatesteel ball is disposed in a vertical hole in the fitting and is actedupon by a set screw or alternatively, by one or more other balls whichare acted upon by a set screw, said set screws being disposed at anupward angle to the vertical hole to contact and move said balls andbeing accessible to a tool from below the handrail.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is acontinuation-in-part of my prior copending application Ser. No. 755,236,filed Aug. 26, 1968 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to means forattaching a handrail to a post or other mounting means, and moreparticularly, to means for use with handrails supported by posts whichmeans are disposed in slots along the underside of the handrail.

As the art has recently developed, handrails in a variety of shapes havecome to be constructed with slot means in the underside thereof forreception of various means which can be referred to as support means orconnector means or adapter means and which are designed to connect thehandrail to whatever support structures are provided. The problem facedin the prior art is to provide a great deal of flexibility ininstallation of the handrail units, particularly ornamental handrailunits which require the fittings to be attractive in appearance and notdetract from the overall appearance of the handrail unit, and also whichare easily installed and adjusted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a fitting foruse on the' end of a post or other support means which is inserted intothe slot on the other underside of a handrail, said fitting having ahole extending therethrough communicating with the side walls of theslot and a plurality of gripping members disposed in sliding engagementwithin the hole and acted upon by separate actuating means disposedwithin said fitting, whereby said gripping members are forced intocontact with the walls of the slot to form a firm connection between thehandrail fitting and the handrail. In the preferred embodiment of myinvention the gripping means are steel balls and the actuating means islikewise a steel ball of somewhat larger diameter disposed in a verticalhole intersecting the horizontal hole in the fitting and coacting with aset screw disposed in a threaded hole at an upwardly inclined angle tothe vertical hole and accessible from below the handrail for insertionof a tool to turn said set screw.

A further preferred feature of this invention is a selfcentering meansprovided by a clearance between the large diameter actuating ball andthe vertical hole in which it moves.

In alternate embodiments a plurality of balls are provided between theset screw and the actuating ball whereby as the screw is advanced theballs move to drive the actuating ball. In one of these embodiments thehole in which the actuating ball and the plurality of intermediate ballsare disposed is formed along a curved path, as for example, a bentconduit.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide anattractively ornamental fitting for use with ornamental handrailings andsupport means, to connect the elements with a great deal of flexibilityand ease in installation, and to provide a fitting which is adaptable tovarious slot configurations in handrails currently being used.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a versatile handrailfitting connecting means for connecting the fitting to a slottedhandrail by providing a novel gripping means and actuating meansallowing for self-centering, firm gripping, and flexibility ofapplication to the varying shapes of the support means.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective of a preferredembodiment of my invention showing the handrail fitting in operativeposition with a slotted handrail and post;

FIG. 2 is a view taken as indicated by the lines and arrows 22 in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with a portion of the handrailfitting in an alternate position;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the parts of the handrail fitting andhandrail shown in the previous figures;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of my inventionwith the handrail shown in phantom operative position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an alternate embodiment of myinvention; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a further alternateembodiment of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although specific forms of theinvention have been selected for illustration in the drawings, and thefollowing description is drawn in specific terms for the purpose ofdescribing these forms of the invention, this description is notintended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in theappended claims.

In FIG. 1, a handrail support means in accordance with the preferredembodiment of my invention, is shown in assembled position with anornamental handrailing and post. The support means comprises a fittingdesignated 10 which can be mounted or fixed in any suitable fashion (asillustrated by the broken lines) on or as part of any type of post 11 orbaluster, or can be attached or affixed to an adapter which in-turn canbe fixed to the post (see for example Blum et al. Pat. No. 3,351,324).The fitting consists of a support member 12 which can be of any suitabledesign and can be, for example, square, round, or rectangular, incross-section, and made of metal such as steel or aluminum as is wellknow in the art. The support member 12 terminates in a 'head 13 disposedin the slot in the underside of the railing 21. In the embodiments shownin FIGS. 1 through 4 the head is essentially rectangular in an overallcross-section at the base thereof, and terminates in an upper roundedsurface as at 23. Thus the flat side walls of the head parallel the sidewalls of the slot and can be in sliding engagement therewith or aslightly looser fit can be provided by a minimum clearance on eitherside. The upper rounded surface of the head normally abuts the handrailat the bottom 24 of the slot and not only can slide against the surfacewhich it abuts, but also can roll slightly due to its rounded surface.

Disposed in each side wall 25 and 26, FIG. 2, of the head there is aball (35 and 36 respectively) preferably made of stainless steel whichis slidably mounted in the holes 27 and 28 respectively within thewalls. The slot in the handrail is cross-shaped or T-shaped as desiredand has at least two opposed longitudinal slots 31 and 32, one in eachWall thereof, which can be rectangular in cross-section as desired. Theheight of the slots as shown in the figures is somewhat less than thediameter of the steel balls 35 and 36, so that the corners of the slotswill engage the surface of the balls.

Disposed in the fitting is an axial bore 38, extending downwardly fromthe upper rounded terminal end thereof and containing a large diametersteel ball 40. The ball is preferably larger in diameter than either ofthe two steel balls which are disposed in the laterally extending holes.The bore 38, extends sufficiently deep into the fitting so that thelarge diameter ball when resting at the bottom of the bore will notinterfere with the two smaller balls to the extent that they can bewithdrawn completely within the confines of the head, but will interferewith them to prevent them from completely entering the bore 38 as shownin FIG. 3. The bottom of the axial bore communicates with a hole 42extending at an angle to the axis downwardly through the exteriorsurface of the fitting. An angle of 45 is preferable but can be variedwithin the scope of this invention. The hole is threaded to receive aset screw '44 in threaded engagement therewith as shown. As the setscrew is turned to advance it in the hole, it contacts the largediameter ball and forces it up the axial bore and into engagement withthe smaller diameter balls. Upon continued advancement of the set screwthe large diameter ball rises further in the axial bore and causes thesmaller balls to diverge laterally and roll or slide in their respectiveholes until they extend from the side walls of the head and come intoengagement with the corners of the adjacent slots, as shown in FIG. 2.The center lines of the holes containing the balls are convenientlypositioned with respect to the upper-rounded terminal surface so thatwhen the fitting is inserted into the slot and the upper-roundedterminal surface meets the handrail surface the balls will be alignedwith the side slots. The set screw is then tightened to drive thesmaller balls out against the handrail for positive locking engagementtherewith. It is preferable during assembly to advance the set screwslightly at first to a point where the smaller balls extend from theirholes into the slots in the handrail, allowing a degree of slidingmotion between the fitting and handrail for positioning it. Once inproper position, the set screw is tightened to bind the fitting firmlyto the handrail.

In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. the upper surface 523 of thehead is a fiat rectangular shape, so that it lays flush with the undersurface of the handrail formed by the slot and provides a slidingbearing surface. The head then tapers down from this bearing surface asshown, to the support portion of the fitting. The larger diameter ball,the two small diameter balls, and the set screw function in exactly thesame manner as that previously described. However, this configurationdoes not provide for a rotational adjustment of the head of the fittingin the slot in the handrail. It is desirable to provide a [means forrotational adjustment, and such is provided as shown by the lowerterminal portion 522 of the support 512. As shown in FIG. 5, the support512 terminates in a rounded bushing 522 having a bore 524 therein forconnection to a laterally extending support member (not shown, but knownas for instance, that shown and described in Blum et al. Pat. No.2,807,834, issued Oct. 1, 1967). This arrangement allows for rotationaladjustment to accommodate variations present in mounting handrails.

It will be appreciated that when the handrail portion of the railing isplaced on a plurality of posts, all disposed at slightly varying anglesand at slightly varying heights all the posts will not normally engagethe slot in the underside of the handrail in exactly the same manner.Thus, during installation, the rounded portion of the fitting as shownin FIGS. 1 through 4, serves a func tion in providing for rotationaladjustment.

In the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the handrail, slot, fitting,set screw, smaller balls, and actuating ball 40 are all exactly the sameas those described with respect to FIGS 1 through 4 the difference inthis embodiment is that the bore 338 has been extended vertically toaccommodate a plurality of larger balls. These larger balls are disposedbetween the set screw and the actuating ball 40 and maintain and movethe actuating ball in response to movement of the set screw in themanner previously described with respect to the set screw acting uponthe large ball by itself. The advantage of this embodiment is that itallows the set screw to be positioned more remotely from the undersideof the handrail.

A further advantage in this embodiment is shown by the position of theballs within the bore 338. Note that there is a space between the ballsand one or more portions of the bore 338. This is because the bore hasbeen made slightly oversized and the ball 40 is no longer in completesliding engagement with the bore along all surfaces. This feature of theinvention provides for selfcentering of the large steel ball in engagingthe smaller balls being forced outwardly. The self-centering effectprovides for uniformity of force and load distribution in clamping thefitting to the slot on the underside of the handrail.

In the further alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 7 the bore 438 followsa curved path in the handrail support structure; which itself resemblesa bent conduit. In this embodiment even more balls are provided so thatthe power transmission between the set screw and the actuating ball 40can be even further extended and can be made to follow varying geometricstructures which may be encountered in the existing handrail art.

It will further be understood that the Abstract of the Disclosure setforth above is intended to provide a nonlegal technical statement of thecontents of the disclosure in compliance with the Rules of Practice ofthe US. Patent Office, and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention described and claimed herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A handrail support means for a handrail of the type having alongitudinally extending slot therein, comprising:

(a) a support extending into said slot and having a transverse holetherein communicating with the Walls forming said slot, and alongitudinal hole therein communicating with said transverse hole;

(b) engagement means in said transverse hole, positionable to extendtherefrom and engage said walls; and

(c) actuating means in said longitudinal hole moveable to contact andposition said engagement means into contact with said walls.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal hole comprises afirst portion communicating with said transverse hole and a secondportion providing access to said first portion from without saidsupport.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said actuating means comprises meansmounted in said second portion of said longitudinal hole, adjustable toa plurality of positions, and means freely moveable longitudinallywithin said first portion of said longitudinal hole to position saidengagement means as aforesaid in response to adjustment of said lastmentioned means.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said engagement means comprises atleast one ball.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises atleast one ball.

6. The invention of claim 2 wherein said second portion is threaded, anda portion of said actuating means comprises a screw in threadedengagement therewith.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said engagement means comprises atleast two steel balls, one on each side of said longitudinal hole.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said actuating means comprises atleast one steel ball.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said longitudinal hole comprises afirst portion communicating with said transverse hole and a secondportion providing access to said first portion from without saidsupport, and said actuating means comprises at least one steel ballmoveably disposed in said first portion and means mounted in said secondportion adjustable to a plurality of positions to engage said steel balland move it to contact and position said steel balls in said transversehole as aforesaid.

10. The invention of claim wherein said ball in said actuating meanswhich contacts said engagement means is smaller in diameter than thesmallest transverse dimension of said IOngitudinal hole.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said actuating means comprises aplurality of balls, one of which positioned to engage said engagementmeans to reposition said engagement means, each ball being in contactwith only one other ball, and a screw threaded through said supportcommunicating with said longitudinal hole, said screw being adjustableto contact the ball most remote from the ball engaging said engagementmeans and moveable in response to movement of said screw to positionsaid engagement means as aforesaid.

12. The invention of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal hole follows acurved path.

13. The invention of claim 1 wherein the slot in the handrail isT-shaped in section and means are provided on said support to coact withsaid handrail to position said transverse hole opposite to the crossportion of said T-shaped slot.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said engagement means comprises aplurality of balls at least two of which extend from said support intothe cross portion of said slot.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the diameter of said balls isgreater than the opening of the cross portion of said slot whereby saidballs will be forced into engagement with the edges of the handrailforming the cross portion of said slot upon appropriate actuation ofsaid actuating means.

16. The invention of claim 14 wherein said actuating means isself-centering in its contact with said engagement means.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said self-centering is provided bya ball of larger diameter engaging the balls of said engagement meanssaid ball being of smaller diameter then the maximum transversedimension of said longitudinal hole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,232,340 2/1941 Olson. 2,762,6399/1956 Molter et al. 3,455,586 7/1969 Kurtzmann 287-53 X FOREIGN PATENTS575,355 2/1946 Great Britain. 663,801 8/ 1938 Germany.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 256

